Somerset powerhouse Hinkley Point B has been given permission to restart generating low-carbon energy. EDF has invested £3 million over the past year in 2020 upgrading the Somerset plant, while detailed assessments have been completed on the graphite in the nuclear reactors.
On March 17, 2021, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has given the green light to bring the plant back online.
Power generation approval
Our core purpose at Hinkley Point B is helping Britain achieve net zero"
Peter Evans, Station Director of Hinkley Point B, said, “Our core purpose at Hinkley Point B is helping Britain achieve net zero and we have been doing this since long before the term net zero arrived."
He adds, “The approval to restart power generation, which has come after many months of physical works and technical assessments of our site, plant, and nuclear reactors, is really positive news."
inspection and maintenance program
Peter Evans continues, “When I look back at the last 12 months it is incredible to think we have delivered a major inspection and maintenance program and a thorough justification to restart the nuclear reactors, all as we grappled with a pandemic that has fundamentally changed the way we work."
He said, “But we’ve done the work, proved our case and I’m thrilled that we can get back online and once again do what we do best.”
detailed assessment
EDF took Hinkley Point B offline in 2020 for detailed assessments of the nuclear reactors’ graphite cores. Detailed analysis by specialist EDF teams revealed that the graphite was in exactly the condition the company had forecast. In 2020 autumn the ONR’s Chief Inspector noted the number of cracks in one of the reactors’ graphite was ‘lower than expected’.
The company plans to run Hinkley’s two reactors for six months, pause for further inspections and, subject to ONR approval, generate power for a second six-month period.
defuelling phase
It’s expected the 12 months of operation will generate eight terawatt hours of electricity
It’s expected the 12 months of operation will generate eight terawatt hours of electricity, enough to power 2m homes for a year.
In 2020 November EDF announced that Hinkley Point B would operate no later than July 2022 before moving into the defuelling phase. This is expected to take a few years to complete and enable continued employment for many people at the station.
Return to power permission
Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP for Bridgwater and West Somerset, said, “Hinkley Point B has been part of the fabric of our community for decades so I'm delighted to see the station given permission to return to power."
Ian Liddell-Grainger adds, "I would specifically like to thank the whole workforce at Hinkley who have clearly worked so hard during these extraordinary times to return this critical part of the UK's infrastructure to operate. There's much to celebrate at Hinkley Point B and I look forward to doing so in person as soon as I'm able.”